Viewing device



March 3, 1936. A; WARMISHAM 2,032,676

VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet l March 3, 1936.

A. WARMISHAM VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3, 1936. w ms 2,032,676

VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 07%!!! w/wzm,

'M #M we March 3, 1936. A. WARMISHAM VI EWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 3, 1936.

A. WARMISHAM VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 1 aifls' an \v March 3, 1936.

Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 &

March 3, 1936,

A. WARMISHAM VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 A. WARMISHAM VIEWING DEVICE March 3, 1936,

Filed June 17, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 602% z'a/Zm,

Patented Mar; 3, 19,36

UNITED STATES VIEWING DEVICE Arthur Warmisham, Evanston, m, assignmto The Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application June 11, 1931, Serial 130. 544,994

11 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to viewing devices .used in connection with photographic cameras for observing the extent at photographic fields thereof, and has for a principle object the provision of a viewing device whichis adap ed for use in connection with camera objectives oi varying focal lengths to the end that the View ing device affords images corresponding to the photographic fields of camera objectives of wideiv varying foes! iengtiis, which images are of suitsize accuracy and convenience in ob servation Another object of my invention resides in the provision of a binocular viewing device which a scene area defined by an apparently. semitransparent frame so that what is not includes in the defined scene area may he observed together that hich is included therein.

a shown, is in the form of a independentinstrument, and, as such, is partic larly adapted use motion picture me tors in observing a given scene to be photographed (with a view toward determining the proper phctographic lens to he used with reference to ioca'l iength and for observing the scene bemg photographed.

With the above objects in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the con struction, combination, and. arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other ob= jects, herei Miter appearing, effected, all as iulLv des eeci with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out zied claims.

In the o in drawingsi too pian view of a viewing ciemy irwenti elevat oi the same;

sioie eievati of the same;

5?? on the line View on the line view on the line 6-5 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is or Figure 5;

8 is. of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line lfl-IU of Figure 4;

Figure 11 is a sectional view on the line ll-ll of Figure 4;

sectional view on the line 'I? a sectional view on the line 8-8 a sectionai View on the line 9-9 Figure 12 is a front elevation of the device;

Figure 131s a partial sectional view on the line l3l3 of Figure'7;

Figure 1c is a partial sectional view on the line ll-ME of Figure *6;

Figure 15 is a partial sectional view on the line iii-i5 of Figure (5; and

Figure 16 is view illustrating an optical eve tern of the device, V

Li's-e characters reference :tdicate like parts in the several views.

Rcie ring to the drawings, 8 designates & eas ing "(cosy to w "c' attached a rent piece 2 and a rear piece the casing; Fig ures i, 3 and i2.

The casing is transversely extended in a zontal piano, and secured therein a eluding an inter tle'iiiate transverse vert posed plate a second transverse e pose-:1 plate 5': spaces. iorwardly from the and a third trans erse verticai y dispose spaced rearw y from the plate 5. ures t, 5, 6 and Journalefi in her are adjacent zonta" spaced truzsv sely and t /molt poses inter. adiates e ssing c213 and rearwardiy sentencing axes. See s, 5, 5 14. These shafts are provided mesliin gears 3 equa: size whereby these move con'espcnciingiy in opposite direct- Engaged on the forward ends of the are'buslsings 9 which are secvred in adjust-es. position on the shafts by of ta er Ineasieri F screws screw threaded into ends or the shafts expand the i the a; s, which forward ends a noted it, a. inst bushings ure 14,

Secured on the S are carry, in the bored outer ends thereof, a objective lenses i4 arranged on forwa; rearwardi'y extending and, by r gears 55, these obj-es re lenses are sim itaneousiy positioned for functioning in alinement with 4 horizontally s;:-a r apertures 55 in the front piece 2 of the casing, as shown in Figures 5, t, 7, and 3,. or are simultaneously positioned nonfunctioning positions below the apertures IS. The apertures 5 are pro ided with transparencies 13 to protect the interior of the casing.

Extending forwardly and rearwardly through bores in the plates 4, 5, and 6 are two stationary studs 11 which are horizontally spaced transversely of the casing and which are disposed at which air screw-threaded into the ends of the studs l1 and engage the plates 5 and 6, and these stud structures, together with a similar center stud structure 2| at the bottom of the plates as shown in Figure 5, serve to secure the plates 6, 5 and 6 in spaced relation, the plate 4 being secured to the bottom of the casing, as designated at 22 in Figure 5- Journaled on the studs I 1 between the plates 4 and 5 are bushings 23 to which are secured arms 24 which carry, in the bored outer ends thereof, duplicate objective lenses 25 arranged on forwarclly and rearwardly extending axes and which are thus movable into functioning position in alinement with the apertures l5 and out of such position as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, '7 and 8.

The arms 24' are operatively connected by a bar 26 pivotally connected to each of these arms, as designated at-21, so that the lenses 25 are simultaneously positioned in and out of function-,

ing position. See Figures 4 and '7.

' The pairs of objective lenses l4 and 25 are used alternately in their functioning positions alined with the apertures l5, and these pairs differ.

in focal length for purposes hereinafter described.

However, both pairs, have the same rear focus and form, when in functioning position,the objectives of a binocular telescope now to be described. i

The casing I is provided, rearwardly of the plate 6, with a transverse vertically disposed partition 28, in two horizontally spaced apertures of which are mounted duplicate fieldlenses 29 of the telescopes, which field lenses are allned with the apertures l5, and the objectives l4 and 25 when in functioning position. See Figures 4 and 16.

Mounted in horizontally spaced apertures in the rear piece 3 on forwardly and rearwardly extending axes are duplicate eye lenses 3! of the telescopes, the axes of which eye lenses are offset downwardly from those of the field lenses 29.

Optically interposed between the field lenses 29 and the eye lenses 3| are reflectingdevices which serve not only to shorten the instrument but,

whichserve to cause inversion of the images so that the view is seen through thedevice in upright position, and these reflecting devices will now be described. v

Glass reflecting prisms 32 have reflecting surfaces 33 thereof internally facing'the field lenses 29 and toward each other, see Figures 4, 11 and 16, and have additional reflecting surfaces 34 thereof internally facing the surfaces 33 and downwardly- 7 Glass reflecting prisms 35, below the prisms 32, have reflecting surfaces 36 thereof internally facing the eye lenses Si and toward each other, and have additional reflecting surfaces 3'l thereof internally facing the surfaces 36 and upwardly to face the reflecting surfaces 34 of the prisms 32.

Accordingly, light, passing rearwardly through the field lenses 29, is reflected laterally from the reflecting surfaces 33 to the reflecting surfaces 34, thence downwardly to the reflecting surfaces 31, thence laterally to the reflecting surfaces 36, and thence rearwardly through the eye lenses 3 I, as is shown in Figure 16, it being observed that an image passing through the prisms is inverted.

The eye piece of each telescope comprises the widely separated field and eye lenses 29 and 3g,

both of which are convergent, the eye lens bein compound and substantially achromatic while the field lens comprises two simple convergent elements for, the purpose of reducing distortion.

The prisms 32 and 35 are disposed between-the partition 28and the rear piece 3 of the casing and are secured in' position in a manner unnecessary to be described,

Assuming either pair of the objective lenses M or 25 to be in functioning position, a binocular view is afiorded by the device.

Preferably, -as shown, both pairs of objective lenses i4 and 25 give minification for purposes of compactness and convenience of design, though it is to be understood that my invention embraces a magnifying system as Well- The shorter" focal length objectives 25 afford images of given near scene areas of desirable size for accuracy and convenience in observation while the longer focal length objectives M afiord images of given far scene areas of desirable or suflicient size also for accuracy and convenience in. observation, the objectives 25 providing too small images of far scene areas while the objectives l4 cannot embrace the desired near scene areas embraced by the objectives 25.

The device is designed particularly for viewing the photographic fields of camera objectives of varying focal lengths, each pair of objectives of the device being used fora different range of camera objectives ofvarying focal lengths, theshorter focus objectives25 being used for a range of shorter focus camera objectives and the longer focus objectives l4 being used for a range of longer focus camera objectives.

In order that the different objective fields of the different camera objectives be defined by the device and in order that the adjustments of the device to accommodate for the definition of the different scene areas of the different camera objectives be accomplished with convenience and dispatch, the following is provided.

.Engaged for rotation on the bushings l8'of the studs l1 are bored gear members 38]. See Figures '7 and 13. Engaged on rearwardly extending hubs of and secured with these gears are ratchet wheels 39, mask disks 4! and stop wheels 42, the ratchet Wheels being disposed forwardly and the stop wheels being disposed rearwardly of the mask disks.

The stop wheels 42 are provided with periph- A pair of transversely spaced gears 41 have spindles thereof extending forwardly through and joumaled in bores through the plate 4, and each of these gears meshes with the adjacent gear member 38. See Figures 7, 8 and 15. Referring to Figure 15, headed screws 48 are screwthreaded into the forward ends of the spindles of thegears 7 41 and have their heads journaled' in apertures through the plate 5. Surrounding the spindles of the gears-41, between the plates 4 and 5 are thimbles t9, and surrounding these spindles and the heads of the screws 58 are other, thimbles 5l b5tveen which and the thimbles 49 and surrounding the spindles of the gears 41 are disposeddished annular springs 52 which press the spindles of the gears 41 and have ends thereof secured with the spindles of the gears 41 and have the other ends thereof secured with the thimbles 49, whereby each gear 41 is operated by its spring 53 in one direction and each gear 41 meshing with its gear member 38 causes rotation of its mask disk 42 in the direction to engage the stop formation 43 of its stop wheel 42 with theassociated pawl 44 and so position the mask disk into its aforesaid predetermined position, which is its neutral or non-functioning po-. sition as hereinafter described.

The rear foci of the pairs of objectives l4 and 25 and the front foci of the eye lenses 3| are disposed in' the same plane, and the mask disks 4| are disposed in this plane which is disposed immediately'in front of the field lenses 29, and the upper portions of the mask disks extend across the optical axis of the two optical systems. See

' scope of the device in the angular positioning of the disk. The view through the largest or neutral aperture of each disk is comparatively unrestricted and when the disk is in position with this aperture centered with the optical axis of the corresponding telescope the disk is functionless as to scene area definition.

- The view defining apertures 54 of the right eye disk are proportioned to function with the pair of longer focus lenses M in defining different predetermined scene areas, and the view defining apertures 54 of the left eye disk are proportioned to function with the shorter focus lenses 25 in defining different predetermined scene areas.

longer focus lenses M to define the photographic fields of a series of relatively long focus lenses of different focal lengths, while the left eye disk functions with the pair of shorter focus lenses '25 to define the photographic fields of a series of relatively short focus lenses of different focal lengths.

As the device is used as a binocular, while either disk is functioning for scene area definition the other disk is positioned with its largest or neutral aperture centered at the focal axis of its telescope. See Figure 9. Accordingly, the visual fusion of the unrestricted scene viewed by one eye and the restricted scene viewed by the other eye results in the observer seeing the unrestricted scene within a semi-transparent frame defint' rig the restricted scene area which is quite desirai .e. Viewing only th'roughthe telescope in which the scene area is defined results in seeing only the restricted scene area.

The disks 4| bear designations 55 associated with the restricting apertures 54 thereof to identify the photographic objective to which each restricting aperture pertains, and where the device is designed for use in the photographing of sound record bearing motion picture film, wires 56 are strung across the restricting apertures to indicate the portion of the normal scene area cut off by the sound track on the motion picture film.

The mechanism by means of which the lenses l4, and 25 are interchanged and the disks 4| are controlled will now be described.

As before stated the disks 4| are yieldably urged into their neutral or non-functioning positions in which the largest or neutral apertures thereof are centered with the optical axes of their telescopes, as shown at the left in Figure 9.

Slidably mounted for longitudinal movement within the casing are two transversely spaced ver i tical bars 51 which project upwardly through an opening in the top of the casing body See Figures 4, 5 and 8. The left bar is yieldably urged upwardly by means of a coiled compression spring 58 encircling a vertical rod 59 within the casing and bearing upwardly againsta block 6| secured on the left bar 5! and having a bore through which the rod 59 passes. The right bar 51 is yieldably urged upwardly by means of a tension spring 62 having its upper end secured with the casing and its lower end with the right bar 51.

Arranged in transverse slots in the upper portions of the bars 57 are control levers 63 which have their lower ends pivoted on the bars 51 on forwardly and rearwardly extending axes, as designated at 64. A plate 65 is secured on the top of the casing body I over the aforesaid opening thereof and is provided with apertures 66 through which the bars 51 and the levers 63 pass. See Figure 8. The upper ends of the levers B3 are provided with beads Bl to be engaged by fingers of the hands of the user while holding the instrument so that the levers 63 and bars 57 may be conveniently manipulated.

Bow springs 68, reacting on the bars 51, urge the levers 63 in their pivotal movement outwardly.

The levers 63 are provided with outwardly projecting lateral lugs 69 providing lower downwardly facing and upper upwardly facing shoulder surfaces.

When the levers 63 are manually positioned inwardly against the influence of the springs 58, the lugs til will pass through the apertures 66 of the plate 55 and permit full reciprocation of the bars 5?. When the levers 63 are positioned outwardly with the lugs 69 above the plate 65, as shown at the right in Figure 8, limited reciprocation of the bars 57 is permitted in the-upper I portion of their movement. As shown at the right in Figure 8, the right bar 51 is shown at the lower end of the said upper portion of its disposed rod H is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement immediately below the plate 65 between the bars 5'! and in the plane of the levers 63. The length of the rod H is such that when one bar 51 is in an upper position the rod is v positioned by this bar with an end of the rod projecting into the fully slotted upper portion of the other bar 57 and engaging thelever 63 of this other bar to prevent inward movement of this lever to disengage the lug 69 of this lever from under the plate 65.

When both bars 51 are positioned in their lower positions inward movement of either lever 63 operates the rod ll agalnst the other lever 63 to prevent releasing movement of this other-lever 63, thus releasing only one bar 51 at a time for movement upwardly out of its lower position.

Arranged in transverse slots in the lower portions of the bars 51 are pawls l2 whichhave their lower ends pivoted on the lower ends of the bars 51 on forwardly and 'rearwardly extending axes, as designated at 13. See Figure 8. These pawls lie in the plane of the ratchet wheels 39 for engagement therewith, and springs M mounted on thebars 51 yieldably urge the pawls 12 outwardly to engage the ratchet wheels.

Detent pawls 75 are'pi-votally mounted on the opposite ends ofthe plate 4 on forwardly and rearwardly extending axes, as designated at-'l6,

and, disposed in the plane of the ratchet wheels 39, are, yieldably urged into engagement therewith by means of torsion with the pivots 16.

Release of a bar 51. outofits lower position, as shown at the right in Figure 8, permits reciprocation of the bar in the upper portion of its movement, the lug '69' of the corresponding lever 63 limiting downward movement of the bar in the upper portion of its movement. As a bar 57 is moved downwardly in theupper portion of its movemenigthe porresponding pawl 12 engages a tooth of the corresponding ratchet wheel 39 and moves the ratchet wheel against itsv spring 53.

I As the bar 51 reaches the lower end of the upper portion ofits movement the corresppnding detent pawl 15 engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel and retains it in its advanced position.

Continued reciprocation of a bar 51 in the upper portion of its movement, accordingly, progresin number as the view apertures 54 of the disks q M, and are so positioned with reference thereto sively. advances the corresponding. ratchet wheel. The .teeth of the ratchet wheels '39 are the same that, at each position of a disk Bl, as determined by the corresponding detent pawl 75 engaging a tooth of the corresponding ratchet wheel 39, one of the viewing apertures is centered with the focal axis of its telescope.

Consequently, the view apertures 54 of .the disks 4! may be' selectively brought into functioning position. \I

As a bar 57 is brought into its lower position,

' itspawl' l2 cams out of engagement with the engaged tooth of the corresponding ratchetwheel engages the detent pawl from the ratchet wheel,

39 and bears downwardly on the inner or free end of the corresponding detentzpawl l and-dis-'- as shovmf at the left in Figure 8, whereupon the ratchet wheel and its disk arerotated in the direction opposite the advancing direction thereof by the corresponding spring 53 until the cor-, responding stap pawl 46 engages the stop formation 43 of the corresponding s'top wheel 52 and thus positions the corresponding disk 4! in nonfunctioning or neutral position'with the largest or neutral view aperture centered with the focal axis of the corresponding telescope.

As before stated the dlsksfll are used alternately for variably defining scene areas, each disk being used-in connection witha respective pair ofthe objective lenses, 4d and 25. In order springs 77 associatedv 1 its. lower position, the stud 8B angularly moves that the proper pair of objectives functions with the proper disk, the following is provided.

An arm 19 is secured with one of the shafts I and has its free end underlying the block 6|,sb that when the left bar 51 is moved to its lower position the free end of thearm I9 is depressed and the longer focus lenses I l are moved into functioning position, as shown in Figure 8, in

which position the lenses l4 remain while the left bar 51 is in its lower position.

A tension spring 8! has one end secured with an arm 82 on one of theshafts 1 and has its other end secured with the frame, see Figures 4 and 7, for movement of the lenses" I4 into nonfunctioning position when the left bar 5-! is moved upwardly from its lower position.

A segment 83 is rotatably mounted on the plate 6 at an intermediate upwardly disposed position and'on a forwardly and rearwardly extending axis, see Figures 4, 5 and 7, and is provided with a radial slot as in which a stud a5,

secured'on the intermediate portion of the bar 26-, is engaged for movement. A forwardly projecting stud' 86 on "the right bar 51 engages downwardlyon .a radial surface of the segment 83, sothat when the right bar 57 is moved to the segment 83 which, through the engagement of the stud 85 in the slot 84, effects movement of .the bar 25, to the left in Figure 7, to position" the shorter focus lenses 25 in functioning posiv A tension spring 87 has one end thereof-connected with one of the arms 24, as designated at 88, and has the other endthereof connected with the frame, see Figures 4 and 7, for movement of the lenses 25 intonon-functioning position'when the right bar 57 is moved upwardly from its lower position.

Accordingly, the functioning of the longer and shorter focus objectives Ed and 25 with therestruction as changes mayreadily be made with out departing from the spirit of my invention,-

but having thus described my invention, [claim following:

1. In a viewin'g devicethe combination'withtwo alternately functioning pairs of binocular objectives, one pair differing in focal length from the other, and viewlimiting means for rendering the field of view through one of each of said pairs of objectives )ess than'that through the other. K

2. In a telescopic vlewing device the combina-.

tion withtwo alternately functioning pairs of binocular objectives, one pairdiifering'in focal length from the other, of adjustable view limiting means for defining selectively different predetermined sceneareas viewed through one pf each-of said pairs of objectives less than'those viewed through the other. 1

3. In a viewing device the combination with two. alternately functioning pairs of binocular "objectives, one pair diifering in focal length from the othenofadjustable vlew limiting means for defining selectively different predetermined as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the scene areas viewed through one of each of said pairs of objectives less than those viewed through the other, the scene areas defined by said view limiting means through an objective of one of said pairs corresponding with the fields covered by one group of photographic objectives differing in focal length and the scene areas defined by said view limiting means through an objective of the other of said pairs corresponding with the fields covered by a different group of photographic objectives difiering in focal length.

4. In a viewing device the combination with two pairs of binocular objectives, one pair differing in focal length from the other, of means whereby said pairs are selectively brought into functioning position, and two adjustable view limiting devices, one for the right objective of one pair and the other for the left objective of the other pair, each view limiting device being adapted to define selectively a group of predetermined scene areas viewed through the corresponding objective and each adapted to be rendered inoperative.

5. In a viewing device the combination with two pairs of binocular objectives, one pair differing in focal length from the other, of means whereby said pairs are selectively brought into functioning position, two adjustable view limiting devices, one for an objective of one pair and the other for an objective of the other pair, each view limiting device being adapted to define selectively a different group of predetermined scene areas viewed through the corresponding objective and each adapted to be rendered inoperative, and means for automatically rendering each limiting device inoperative while the corresponding pair of objectives is out of functioning position.

6. In a viewing device the combination with two pairs of binocular objectives, one pair differing in focal length from the other, of two adjustable view limiting devices, one for an objective of one pair and the other for an objective of the other pair, each view limiting device being adapted to defincselectively a different group of predetermined scene areas viewed through the corresponding objective and each adapted to be rendered inoperative, a pair of manually controlled devices, means whereby said'pairs of objectives are individually under the control of said'manually controlled devices for selectively bringing said pairs of objectives into functioning position, and means whereby said limiting devices are individually under the control of said manually controlled devices for selectively adjusting and rendering the same inoperative, each limiting device being inoperative when the corresponding pair of objectives is out of functioning position.

7. In a viewing device the combination with two pairs of binocular objectives, one pair diflering in focal length from the other, or two adjustable view limiting devices, one for an objective of one pair and the other for an objective of the other pair, each view limiting device be-.

ing adapted to define selectively a different group of predetermined scene areas through the corresponding objective and adapted to be rendered inoperative, a pair of manually controlled devices, means whereby said pairs of objectives are individually under the control of said manually controlled devices for selectively bringing said pair of objectives into functioning position, means whereby said limiting devices are individually under the control of said manually controlled devices for selectively adjusting and rendering the same inoperative, each limiting device being inoperative when the corresponding pair of objectives is out of functioning position, and automatic interlock means necessitating selective operation of said manually controlled devices to bring said pairs of objectives into functioning-position and to render said limiting devices operative and to adjust the'same.

8. In a viewing device the combination with an adjustable view limiting device yieldably urged to one end of its adjustment, of a manually controlled reciprocable member, ratchet means for progressively operating said limiting device to the other end of its adjustment with reciprocation of said reciprocable member including a releasable detent pawl, means whereby an extended movement of said reciprocable member beyond an end of said reciprocation thereof releases said detent pawl, and releasable means preventing said extended movement of said reciprocable member.

9. In a viewing device the combination with an adjustable view limiting device yieldably urged to one end of its adjustment, of a manually controlled reciprocable member yieldably urged in one direction andmanuaily actuated in the other, ratchet means for progressively operating said limiting device to the other end of its adjustment with reciprocation of said reciprocable member including a releasable detent pawl, means whereby extended movement of said reciprocable member beyond the end of said reciprocation in the direction of-manual actuation thereof releases said detent pawl, and means preventing said extending movement of said reciprocable member comprising a locking member mounted on said reciprocable member and yieldably urged into locking position and man-- ually actuatedout of locking position.

10. In a telescope the combination with spaced eye and objective lenses giving minification, of a field lens disposed therebetween and comprising separate simple convergent elements and so disposed that the light path between the field and eye lenses is longer than the light path between the field and objective lenses.

11. In a telescope the combination with spaced eye and objective lenses giving minification and the eye lens comprising a compound substantially achromatic lens, of a field lens disposed therebetween and comprising two adjacently spaced simple convergent elements and so dis--- posed that the light path between the field and eye lenses is longer than the light path between the field and objective lenses. 

